The Application Season Has Begun!

It's that time again .... time to make application to craft shows for the coming year!  Some of the shows this summer have application deadlines coming up soon.  So just how does a person go about locating and choosing a craft show?

THE HUNT

Because of our ministry, we usually move every 6-15 months and usually the moves are to entirely new states.  All the advice I've seen about finding good craft shows says that you should attend one year as a customer to get a feel for the show, then apply the next year if you want to be a vendor.  I don't have that luxury ... I'll probably be gone next year.  So how do I pick the shows I apply for? 

I start my internet search by using Google.  I use key words "craft show" then the cities and towns in my very near area.  I make a list of my finds with a few pertinent details -- date, location and fees if I can find them, and whether the show is part of a festival.  If the info is available, I also note how long the show has been in existence and whether it's juried.  Then I use alternate phrases like "craft fair", "art fair" and "art show" and keep googling.  I also expand to include the state, rather than the specific towns near me.  I've found that some states have very organized directories -- those are wonderful!   I also check the various towns for their own Chamber of Commerce, visitor information or city events listings.  Compiling this list can take some time but is well worth the effort.

Once I have my list, I begin the sorting process.  Schedule is important to me -- I prefer not to do shows every weekend so I try to pick the best shows available on the weekends I'm available.  I look at distance -- how far is a show from home?   I like to keep them within 60 miles, although if a show sounds really great, I'll go further.  I next look for juried shows -- even if I've missed the application deadline, I"ll check to see if they have space available -- sometimes they do, especially if someone dropped out.  In my experience, a juried show that has been in existence for many years is a good bet -- they will likely have quality arts and crafts with a good reputation which usually draws serious buyers.  But sometimes, that's not the kind of show available .. so then what?

Open shows can be good or bad .. and there are several factors that I look for.  Where are they located?  I'll risk a show if it's located in a tourist destination during the summer (or main tourist season).  How long have they been an event?  Are they supporting a school, team, or community group?  Are they part of a festival?  What is their booth fee?  If I can find out previous attendance and how they advertise, that can be valuable information.  The longer they've been around, usually the better they are and the better they're known.  A long running annual event will generally attract repeat customers and because of word of mouth, will have a larger customer base.  Those shows benefitting an organization will depend on how actively the community is involved -- and I can't always tell that by looking online.  I've done one show, benefitting a fire department, that had hundreds of people -- another show, in the very next town only had about 150 attendees.  Festival related shows have also gone either way.  I've come to the conclusion that if the festival sounds like lots of fun to ME, the show is worth the gamble.  Two of the best shows I've ever had were part of festivals .... as were the 2 worst shows I've ever had.

Often the booth fee can be an indication of a show's success.  For one, shows with higher booth fees have bigger advertising budgets.  Most of the shows I do fall in the $75 - $150 range.  Shows that are cheaper are sometimes poorly advertised, with fewer attendees -- and lower profits.  Shows that cost more require that I sell a lot more just to break even but they normally have a good track record and are worth the risk.   This year, I'll be applying to 2 shows that are new to me -- and they top $200 in fees -- cuz I like living on the edge!  Really, I don't think they're that risky -- both are in the summer in tourist destination communities and have been around for over 30 years.

Organization is important.  Look at the application -- is it laid out in a logical way?  Do they ask for information that seems pertinent?  Are their regulations and guidelines easy to understand ... and do they make sense?  Some applications include a map of the venue -- does the layout make sense?  Do they have adequate parking -- for vendors and for customers?

If you have no experience with a show, and especially if you have any concerns about the show, NETWORK.  If you do online sales through a site like Etsy, get involved with a team from your area -- ask questions in the forums.  Use social networking sites (like Facebook and Twitter) to connect with other vendors from the area.  Some shows offer an online list of the vendors who participate -- connect with some of  them to inquire about a show.  Some vendors post their schedules online -- contact them (politely, of course) to ask about their experiences with certain shows.

THE QUESTIONS

Besides the questions I've suggested above, there are a couple other important ones.  What is the attitude of the show organizers?  Are they sensitive to vendor concerns?  Or are they more concerned with getting your booth fee?  Are they organized about unloading, setting up and loading up?  Do they do a good job of keeping similar types of crafts from being located to closely to each other in a show?

A COUPLE CAUTIONARY TALES

I've had some interesting experiences the past couple years.  

I sell jewelry.  In one show, all the jewelry vendors were located in the same area of the venue.  I don't really care about the "competition" -- but other vendors also make good customers.  If the vendor next to me is selling baby blankets or pottery, she is much more likely to purchase something from me than if she's selling jewelry.   

I also did a show last fall that was terrible -- it was a 3 day show,  the fees were high and they indicated that jurying would take place at the show (those who passed would be offered an application for the next year).  It sounded for all the world like everything at the show would be handmade -- it wasn't.  There was a ton of "buy/sell", especially a lot of imported, cheap junk.  A flea market is a lousy venue for me -- and this show was the most expensive flea market I'll ever do -- you can bet I won't get burned again.  At this same show, which was an outdoor event with about 300 vendors and located in streets closed off to vehicle traffic, about 15 of us were put on a street that was a block away from the rest of the show, across a busy highway.  We only got a fraction of the foot traffic.  One of more irritating aspects of this was the number of empty spaces in the main area of the show -- we easily could have been located where the customers were.    At the end of day 1, one of my neighbor vendors spoke to a show organizer suggesting some changes, only to be arbitrarily dismissed.  It appeared that once they had our booth fee, they really didn't care whether we were successful or not.  Of the 8 vendors we talked to, 7 stated that they wouldn't be back next year -- the one who would was from that town but intended to ask for a different booth space.


This got longer than I expected ... sorry.  But I hope it helps someone.  If you're new to craft shows, start small.  Try to do either indoor shows or plan to borrow a canopy.  Do a lot of reading up on doing craft shows.  You'll learn a LOT from your first 2 or 3 shows.

Most of all, have FUN!  And have an awesome sales season!!

Silver Gone Crazy!

Nope.  I don't get to write a great blog about terrific new designs -- this one is about the price of silver and what it may mean for my business.  Like many other jewelry designers, I'm feeling the pinch. 

Winter is my "slow time" -- I'm not doing craft shows and because I don't need to replace my supply as quickly, I haven't been buying silver lately.  I bought some silver at the end of January to do a couple weddings and now that I'm preparing for my first craft show (in May), I'm checking my stock and browsing at my favorite sterling supplier.  Needless to say, I was SHOCKED to see how the price had risen!!  When I last purchased silver, the price per ounce was hovering around $27.  Today it's over $45.  This is going to necessitate some price increases -- I wonder if my customers are going to understand?

I have an excel spread sheet that I've devised to track the costs of making each jewelry design I offer.   There is a list of the supplies I use and in the next column the individual cost of each item.  Because most of my designs use multiples of some supplies, I also have columns that multiply the individual cost by certain quantities -- x2, x4, x6, x8 and so on with a few larger quantities to allow for making necklaces which use larger amounts of some components.  (This may seem a bit complicated, but when I was setting it up, I couldn't figure out how to multiply a single component within the formulas I was going to use.)  In this sheet, there is also a list of the designs I make and in the column next to that, each design has a "cost formula" -- a list of the components needed using the cost of each.  For instance, if a pair of earrings uses a 6mm pearl, I'll need 2 (1 for each earring) -- in the formula, I list the box number (column letter and line number) for the cost of 2 pearls.  Each component is listed using the cost for the quantity used and all the component costs are added using the "sum" function to give me the actual cost of making each individual design.   I hope this is making sense -- it sounds a lot more complicated than it is.  This system becomes very effective when I need to change the price of a component.  Today, when I changed the cost of a sterling silver headpin, the cost of every piece of jewelry using headpins was appropriately adjusted.  I can now determine what price I should charge for each design, with the full knowledge of exactly how much the design will cost me to make. 

Unfortunately, today, I had to change a lot of silver prices.  From here, there are different thoughts on how and when to change the prices of my jewelry -- and maybe I can get some feedback from you. 

1.  Even though I haven't purchased silver at the higher price, I should raise prices now to accommodate the new costs.  While on the surface, this may not seem quite fair, it should be noted that I like to keep my prices the same throughout the entire craft show season -- if I raise prices now, I probably won't raise them again this year.  Because I suspect that silver prices are going to continue to increase (the prices are tied to the value of the dollar and as long our government continues it's current course of printing more money and huge spending, the dollar is going to continue to decline), later I will be absorbing additional increases without raising my prices. 

2.  I can raise prices as I purchase new silver.  The upside is that customers buying from my old supply would be paying my old prices.  The downside is that it will also cost me time and money to re-label every time I use more expensive silver.  My craft shows all fall into a certain geographical area so it's entirely possible for a customer to see me at more than one show -- if prices rise between shows on an item they were considering, will they really understand?  Or will it deter them from making the purchase?  

Anyone have any thoughts?  

I've been reading some forums .. it sounds like a lot of jewelry makers are going to increase their use of copper.  I haven't decided how I feel about making such a change for myself ... and maybe we'll explore that on another day.  I also have some concerns about even doing craft shows this summer -- we'll save those thoughts for another day too.

Spring Observations

It's been an interesting month in my craft show world.  The first Saturday of the month, I did a show that was awful for most vendors.  For some odd reason, the organizers had placed most of the jewelry vendors in the same general area, and the show was very poorly attended.  The gal across the aisle from me, who sold jewelry, didn't have her first sale until half hour before the show ended.  The couple next to her, also selling jewelry, had only 1 sale.  The guy next to me, selling photography, had 1 sale for the day.  The guy behind me, selling foodie stuff, had the worst day he'd ever had.  I didn't.  It wasn't a spectacular day, but it wasn't bad either -- given the attendance, I'd say my day was "satisfactory".

Week 2, I was selling again .. well, sort of.  I don't know how much advertising the sale had and it wasn't a big show (maybe 20-25 vendors).  And as it happened, it was perhaps the worst weather for any show I've ever done.  Winds were blowing very hard -- probably 40-45 mph -- and temps were low with a threat of snow mixed with bitter rain.  It wasn't a good day to leave the warmth of your kitchen -- so not such a good day to be a vendor.  The upside was that I was "back home" in a town where I'd lived for 6 years and some of the people who did show up were old acquaintances -- I got to do some fun catching up!  But I didn't make much money.

The Week 3 show was the worst show I've had since my second show ever (almost 5 years ago) .... the one where I didn't even make my modest booth fee.  I made my fee this time, but little more.  It was a first time show, and the organizers realized during the course of the day that they had made a couple serious mistakes.  We had no customers in the afternoon and several vendors sat with the organizers and there was great communication and brain storming.  We vendors shared some of our experiences ... what worked and what didn't at other shows we've done.  The organizers took us seriously and took notes.  Next year will be different.  The organizers had done some things right too -- they had attended several other nearby shows last fall and made contact with potential vendors, gathering a list of 200 sellers.  They sent out an email invitation to their list, but the show only ended up having 11 vendors (6 of whom sold jewelry).  I wasn't one who had received their email -- I found their application online.  The event sounded like fun and there was no mention on the app that it was their first year.  I'm suspicious that it was mentioned in the email -- and vendors didn't want to take a chance on a first year show.  Part of the problem for sellers was their location in relation to other activities -- next year, vendors will be placed between parking and other events so customers have to pass through the vendor area.  It also didn't help that we'd had a week of rainy cold weather and Saturday was gorgeous -- people wanted to be out in their yards and gardens, not out at a craft show. 

It's sounding pretty grim so far, isn't it?  It gets better .... I promise!!

So last Saturday, I was at another show.   This one, well established.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect ...mid 70's and partly sunny with a very light breeze.  The show was a mix of craft vendors and plant vendors and done at a beautiful Art and Garden Museum facility.  There were at least 150 vendors and it was our first outdoor show of the season.  It was well attended and  I had my best craft show of the year ... woohoo!!

So it made me wonder ..... is everyone having a tough spring with low sales, or is there something I should be doing differently?   I don't lack confidence in my craft -- I hear too many positive comments and I personally feel good about it -- so I'm not questioning that.  Is it the economy?  Is it the show?  Or is it me?  Have I missed some little factor that would make a big difference? 

We had a few minutes to talk to a foodie vendor, who has also been a craft vendor, doing both for many years.  She said that she was having the best year ever.  That was a little discouraging at first .. but as we continued talking, she made the observation that while her customers are still buying, the size of their individual purchases is getting smaller.  She used to sell a lot of "large" size product, but lately she's selling lots more "medium" size.  As I thought about it, I realized that's also been my experience this spring as well -- most of the sales were from my $5 trays and I haven't sold many necklaces, which have higher price tags.  The two shows where I'd done very poorly were also very poorly attended -- so there just wasn't the quantity of people to compensate for the smaller size sales.  And the two shows where I've done moderately well, it's been because I've sold a bunch of my smallest earrings. 

So how is it going with you?  How are your spring shows?  Are you finding your sales lower .. or maybe smaller?   I'm optimistic about my summer shows.  I think as more people feel more secure about their jobs, they will "loosen up" and begin spending.   A lot of people are more relaxed with their spending because they don't have to pay high heat bills.  And a lot of people have been very careful for quite a while -- they are ready to throw off caution and do a little shopping.  I hope they shop with me!!

Keeping it Safe

Yesterday I posted my little journey of the past days into a very scary craft show application zone (if you haven't read it, you probably need to so today's post will make sense).  I do want to make it clear that I'm not accusing the organizer of scamming anyone -- I never sent my check.  If I had, he may very well have returned it.  And, as I mentioned in one of my forum posts, he's organized a show before at that location -- he may have been planning on it when he set up his show season and website and when it didn't pan out, he just didn't change his web info.  I have neglected my Etsy shop and my blog from time to time -- laziness is not the same as fraud.  It's not the best management or the most professional, but that doesn't make it a scam.  I posted my story because I could see how easily it could have become a scam and I hope that sharing my experience will help others be more watchful.

One of my forum friends reminded me that there was a big scam in Boston using a Bridal Show as a front -- I knew about it.  Apparently, a show organizer took large sums of money from vendors for booth fees at a bridal show (such shows are usually far more expensive than craft shows) and even went so far as to advertise on a local radio station.  The whole thing looked very legitimate -- but wasn't and the vendors were left out in the cold.  While it's awful that the vendors were scammed like that, my concern is actually about the forms they filled out.  

I don't know about you, but a lot of the craft show forms I fill out ask for my tax ID or Social Security number -- in many states, show organizers are required to provide this information to state tax authorities (which I totally understand).  My issue with it is, that I may not get accepted into a particular show but I've provided my most private identity information to someone I don't know and who is unlikely to be bonded in any way.  I've begun enclosing a note with my applications stating that due to concerns over identity theft, I will not provide my private numbers until after I've been accepted to a show.  I'm sure that adds to the work load of the show organizer -- having to link my info to my application later on.  But identity theft is too big a problem for crafters to be handing their info to just anyone.  Many applications require a self addressed stamped envelope for the return of photos submitted -- I've gotten photos back, but have never gotten my application back.  What did the organizer do with it?  Where did my personal information go?   Those vendors in Boston not only lost hundreds and thousands of dollars in booth fees, which is tragic enough, but they also provided personal information to these same scammers.

I would like to challenge craft show organizers to find a different way of collecting and securing personal information from vendors -- maybe indicate to a vendor on the application that such information will be required after acceptance.  Add a "security page" to the application which can be filled out and returned after the vendor has been accepted ... or send a small form with their acceptance letter.   There needs to be some reasonable way for the vendor to provide that information without putting themselves in jeopardy of identity theft.

And for those of us who take credit cards from our customers, we need to have a secure method of handling and storing their information.   I use a knuckle buster at craft shows to take credit cards so I have a "paper trail" to prove the transaction -- but I also have to maintain those forms in a way that's secure.  I don't really want to reveal what I do here because I don't want to announce that on a blog and invite trouble -- but just know that I have a security plan for keeping my customer's credit card numbers safe.  

We need to be keeping it safe -- for ourselves and our customers. 

Craft Shows -- a few last thoughts

Well, I have a few last thoughts before I wrap this series up.  I appreciate all the kind feedback and I”m glad that it’s been helpful for some of you!   I was going to split this post up but wanted to get it all finished in March .. JUST made it!!

Plan for easy set up and tear down.  You don’t want to spend a lot of  time getting set up before a show and when it’s done, you’ll be ready to hit the road and head for home.  Craft shows can be a LOT of fun, but they can also be tiring – when it’s over, you’re ready to be out of there!  So, when planning your display, plan for keeping it easy before  and after.  Easy tear down can be especially important for an outdoor show – sudden bad weather can cause you to have to hustle.  We were at a show where a tornado watch closed the show down – we had to get packed and out in minutes!

Plan for security.  Make sure your whole display is easily visible from wherever you are going to stand or sit.  It’s not pleasant to think of people stealing from you, but it happens.  Don’t make your display part of the problem.

Plan for storage.  Not that this will affect your sales at a show, but if you’re considering your display, keep storage in the back of your mind.  You may have a gorgeous display – but if you can’t get it in your vehicle and get it to the show, it won’t help you much.  I’m “space challenged” (I live in an RV full time) so it’s a much bigger consideration for me than for most but just because you have a whole room where you CAN store your displays doesn’t mean that you want to USE a whole room to do it!

If possible, show how your craft will be used.  Some things are obvious – if you make aprons, wear an apron.  If you make jewelry, use some busts.  If you make crocheted hats, put some on mannequin heads.  Something I’m considering (another item on my wish list) is using a digital photo frame in my display that slideshows through photos of my jewelry, including people wearing it.  As I want to do more to market to brides, I can show photos of brides and wedding parties wearing my jewelry.  But I don’t want to limit myself to that – so I’ll also show photos of women in business suits or teen in t-shirts wearing my earrings.

Now, go wander through your local building and craft stores – keep your eyes open for ideas and be prepared to think outside the box.  If you’re not handy, you probably know someone who is – tap those resources.  There are lots of ideas on the internet – some are good, some not so much.  Take your time and think through your display plan.

I have ideas for different types of displays (because we are builders, I spend a LOT of time at Home Depot and Lowes).  If I were selling bath/spa products, I might make a display of risers, maybe 2 steps high, using 4x4" spa green bath tiles – the fronts of each step would be a tile high and the shelf of each step would be a tile deep and to keep the weight and size manageable, I’d make it about 4 tiles long.  If I wanted more display space, I’d make additional units..  Something like this would give the display a spa feel while doing double duty in giving it vertical dimension.  I might also add a tall glass column vase filled with bath puffs or soaps.  The whole display would be in spa green, white and tan and maybe next to the vase, I’d put a seashell.  Add a small stack of folded towels and you’ve got a great display!  If I made candles, I’d definitely use the digital photo idea – you can’t have open flames at most craft shows, so I’d take short digital movies of candles in different settings and play them continuously.  

If you’re having a hard time being objective about your display, you may want to give this a try: set up your display in your garage or backyard, and then PLAY with it.  If you have more than 1 table, move it around in every possible configuration, even if you don’t think it will work that way.  Once you feel like you have a good traffic flow, start arranging and re-arranging the way your display is set up.  And my biggest recommendation here is that you take a picture of EVERY change you make .. in arranging the tables and then arranging your display.  If you have different colored table cloths, try them. If you have or can borrow different colored table skirts, try them.  Use cardboard boxes to stack things.  If you find an arrangement you like, you can use appropriately sized crates or fabric covered boxes or acrylic shelves.  If you don’t use tables, try ladders, shutters, or shepherds hooks.  Could you use a small antique cabinet or an antique child’s chair?   Look around your house and your garage – be open to try anything -- think outside the box.  But keep taking those pictures.  Our brains overlook or look past things sometimes – the camera sees it all.  I discovered this principle just this week.  I’ve changed my display from last summer and needed new photos for some juried craft shows.  So I put my whole canopy set up together to take photos – when I looked at the photos, I saw some things I hadn’t really seen before.  I have 3 small tables that I’ve loved because I could configure them any way I needed to depending on my booth space – so I took my photos in several different configurations.  Turned out that one of them is really awful – looks crowded and if more than 2 people are there browsing, it’s going to be tight.  I’ve used that configuration a couple times – never saw if before but it was SO obvious in the photo!

And then, always be READY.  

I took those jury photos in to be printed.  When I picked them up, the photo lady RAVED about my jewelry, my photos, and my display.  She said that everything looked professional and was so beautiful – it was a great massage for my ego!  I gave her a business card. 
Last Saturday night, after we’d been at our craft show/expo for the day, my dear honey took me to our favorite restaurant for dinner. We have gotten to know some of the staff and the hostess who seated us knows what regulars we are – we always chat for a minute when she takes us to our table.  Of course, coming from a show, we told her about our day.  Turned out her sister is getting married this summer and hasn’t found jewelry for her wedding party yet.  We got a few necklaces from the car and showed them to her – she loved them!  She took my card to give to her sister.  She also gave me her card with her sister’s name and wedding colors.  I stopped at David’s Bridal on my way home and picked up the swatches.  I have crystals to match.

I don’t know if either of these situations will result in sales – I’m hoping.  But my point is, there are opportunities if you’re keeping your eyes open and ready to meet them.  You don’t have to be pushy (I’m really quite shy in person) – just let people know that you’re AVAILABLE and you have solutions to meet their needs.  If you love what you do, you’ll talk about it .. with enthusiasm .. and enthusiasm is contagious!  

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(¸.•´ (¸.•`¤~♥ ♥ ♥ ¸.•*¨)Sales fairy dust on you all!!

The Bad and The Beautiful

Having just written this series of blogs, during a lull in the show I just did, I walked around and observed the displays and vendors of various booths.  This show was an expo, not a craft show .. so the vendors were not only crafters, they represented various home based sales companies and small local businesses.  Some of the displays were very professional, some were not.  I don't want to sound critical or arrogant, but display issues have just been on my mind and it would have been hard not to notice the bad as well as the good.

One lady had a nice display – not spectacular but pleasant enough.  But as I walked by, she didn’t even look up from the book she was reading.  I didn’t stop. 

Another lady was selling some kind of hand care product .. she nearly chased me down as I passed.  I politely told her “no thanks” and smiled as I walked away ...she was still calling after me when I was 3 booths away.  I wouldn’t have wanted to be the booth next to her. 

There was a lady there, selling jewelry, whose display needed serious help.  She had the part right about different levels, but nothing else.  I felt bad for her actually.  Her booth was in view of ours, and very few people stopped to look at what she was selling.  She had 2 long tables, covered in cloth ... but not table cloths ... and the cloth had edges that weren’t finished, so had a couple fraying strings dangling down.  There were 2 cloths on each table (so 4 pieces) in 3 different colors – black, white and blue.  One cloth hung over the edge of the table with a 6" drop, the other at a 10 or 12" drop.  Then she had quite a hodge podge of different jewelry display pieces – some in white, some in black some in gray and some that were wood – they were all different shapes and sizes and there was no rhyme or reason to their placement.   It made for a pretty chaotic looking display. Simply having 1 cloth on each table, edges finished, well fitting and having even drops would have seriously improved her display.  And if she had at least grouped the same colored display pieces together, her booth would have looked worlds better.  I know she didn’t see her display through the eyes of a prospective buyer.  Her work was nice .. some very cute stuff .. but her display really detracted from it and I’m sure her sales suffered for it. 

On the other hand, there was another gal there, who sold handpainted wooden knick knacks and yard decor – also very cute – and her display was very cool.  She had taken louvered closet doors and painted them all a distressed white.  Louvers were strategically removed and white shelves were placed through the gaps, creating a rustic and very interconnected look.  Her wares were then placed, grouped by color and she’d used the space from the floor to just above people’s heads.  She must have had 2 booth spaces because she had several of these units forming a U shape with an “island” unit in the center..  Customers walked through her display like a little path – and I don’t think a single customer walked PAST her booth.  Not everyone who looked made purchases, but everybody looked!

A home sales jewelry company was represented.  Their display was very attractive and well designed (I’m suspicious that the company offers design plans or some kind of professional training or help) and the ladies in the booth were well attired – made me think “I need to spiff up – this is my competition”.

I took a look at my own display – not bad but needs a little spit and polish (well, maybe we better stick to polish!).  The lights are great – really make the crystals pop!  My table cloths are a little too big – sewing project coming up.  My current cloths are white but not long ago, I picked up couple new colors (Bed Bath and Beyond was having a clearance!) – we’ll experiment with which colors look best.  We may consider scaling down a bit but display to give more emphasis on specific styles.   Note to self – making my display look “fresh” to me isn’t necessarily looking fresh to customers -- keep looking at it with objective eyes..  And we’re going to start looking for folding chairs that are more of a directors style or bar stool height – it would put us at better eye contact with customers without having to stand all day – which might help us feel a little “fresher” later in the day. 

Display Thoughts - Making a Plan

First and foremost, what is the most important point in developing your display?  Why, sales of course!  So the focus on your display should put the focus on your display.  What do you need to do to draw favorable attention?  What will catch the customer’s eye and cause them to stop at your booth?  You used imagination to create your product ... now use some imagination to create your displays!   And remember that this is a shopping “experience” – how can you make the experience pleasant?

Your display should show off your product to it’s best advantage.  Does your product fit a certain “style” – is it Victorian or cottage or modern?  Make sure that the displays you use are in keeping with your style.  How would these items be displayed in a brick & mortar store ... can you get any ideas from visiting one?  Product should be clearly visible and easy for the customer to pick up.

Use multiple layers/levels.  I’ve seen shows where vendors just laid everything out flat on a table ... BO-RING!  Use stacked crates or something to give your display a stairstep feel.  Hang items from a pole.   If you are using busts to display jewelry, use some taller and some shorter busts or if using all the same sized one, figure out a way to elevate some of them   A length of dimensional lumber (like a 2x4 or 4x4), covered with a piece of cloth, could be an excellent way of adding height to busts or your small craft objects. 

Group similar items together.  If you make gourmet jams and salsas, keep the jams together and the salsas together.  This may seem self-explanatory, but I’ve seen displays where it wasn’t done – it was hard to find what I was looking for and the whole thing seemed disorganized and cluttered.

Keep it clean.  Table cloths and skirts are going to get dirty, especially if you’re doing outdoor shows.  Make sure your product is clean.  Make sure your business cards have no bent corners.  Everything should be crisp and sharp.  Because I make custom items during the show, I also want my work area to be neat and clean.  Organized is good – it makes things easier for you and your look more professional to your customers.

If using a table, use well fitting table cloths and table skirts.  Too big looks droopy and dumpy .. too small looks like you were too cheap to buy enough to do the job.  If you are just starting out, and you’re doing a couple small local shows, you probably don’t need table skirts for your first couple events – but don’t wait too long either – they really do add a professional look to your display.  Oh, and one last thought about tables – I use 3 tables that are 2'x4'.  Booth spaces vary and I can adjust my configuration to accommodate different size booths.  They are also easy to transport and easy to store and most vendors won’t need more than 2 feet of table depth – if it’s deeper, it’s also more awkward for customers to reach near the back of the table.

When planning your space, be sure to have a comfortable traffic flow.  You may need to experiment with the space ahead of time at home – set it up and walk through it as a potential customer.  Is there a natural flow?  Is payment made at the end of the shopping experience?   When I can, I try to set up so that customers can watch me work on my custom orders – it seems to draw a lot of interest and some customers love to see it happen.  Some customers have their own ideas of what they’d like so it’s helpful for me to have some “design space” where the customer and I can create together.

Coming tomorrow -- Creating a theme.

Oh Man, I Forgot!! The Hunt, pt 4

I almost forgot one of the great ways to find more craft shows!!!  Do you have family or friends who live away from you?  Planning a visit to their area?  I have a son and parents in Michigan and 2 daughters in Colorado and friends in other parts of the country.  If I'm planning a trip to see them, and my schedule can be worked out, I look for craft shows in their area using the internet hunting techniques I've described in my earlier posts.  You can find some wonderful shows that way!   Use the Etsy team connections to inquire about shows.  

One thing to keep an eye on are the sales tax procedures -- every state and sometimes locales can be different.  If you are doing a show in Michigan, and you only plan to do 1or 2 shows in the state this year, they have a wonderful option for paying tax on a single event (I REALLY wish every state had that method!!).  In Wisconsin, you can be exempt from sales tax for your first $1000 in sales in a calendar year.   However, in Florida, you pretty much have to have a sales tax license to breathe.   That local Etsy team may be able to advise you on their tax procedures and most states have a "Department of Revenue" with info online.  Generally a Google search for the state name plus "sales tax" will get you where you need to go.

So happy hunting!  Get out there and find those shows!!!

In or Out?

At first blush, you wouldn't necessarily think there was much difference between an indoor craft show and an outdoor one ... and to some degree, you'd be right.  You have to have a reasonable stock of merchandise to sell, a way to display it, the usual supplies of business cards, gift bags and ready change.  But each type of show also brings it's own unique set of concerns.

Obviously, at an outdoor show, the biggest concern is weather -- wind or rain can really put a damper on the show.  Since most organizers make no guarantee for beautiful weather, your profits are a bit more at risk when applying for an outdoor show.  When you attend an outdoor show, you'll see that most vendors have some sort of canopy -- it gives shade on sunny days and protection from rain should a sudden storm blow up.  Some vendors use sides on their canopies.. I don't.  I only do a handful of outdoor shows in a year and didn't want to make the extra investment in sides (at least, not yet).  I also find that the sided ones have less air circulation, which can be stifling in hot, humid weather.  My overall set up is fairly easy to move to one side or the other if a sudden storm pops up and our rack is designed to hold up to windy conditions.  We did have to develop displays that are unaffected by a breeze, including business card holders, and the little extra props I use to decorate with.  And frankly, if the weather is too nasty, nobody is going to attend -- so trying to manage the worst weather situations is unnecessary -- I'll go home.  The upside to outdoor shows is that, as an artist using crystals, the natural light is phenomenal!  At one show, the vendors were in a park in the shape of a giant oval -- as the afternoon wore on and the sun got lower, it made my crystals sparkle!  One lady, shopping on the opposite end of the oval, caught sight of my jewelry and hurried across the oval to shop with me -- she had seen my jewelry shining from 400 feet away ... and couldn't WAIT to see what I was selling! 

So, indoor shows would seem to be ideal, right?  Not always.  While you may not be faced with wind or rain issues, those factors can still affect attendance -- who wants to get up on Saturday morning and trudge out in the cold damp rain (or snow) when they can lay around home in their jammies and drink coffee?  Indoor shows can also be a lighting challenge -- they usually have commercial or industrial lighting that may affect the appearance of your items.   Our perceptions of colors can be significantly altered in such lighting -- and with something as sensitive as crystals, it can be an extra challenge.   We have started using a string of puck lights that we can strategically place behind and below most of my earrings -- they help to keep the true color of the crystals and give them a little extra shine visible from the front of our displays.  Because indoor shows are often in large areas with concrete walls and floors, they can also be louder environments -- less "soft" to absorb sound in a  confined area makes more echo.  And someone may be playing music -- if you're the one near a speaker, it can make communication with customers a bit more difficult.   One upside (if you need it) is that some indoor shows will provide a table for your display and a chair or two for your booth -- outdoor shows rarely offer these.  And it's great for craft show newbies just starting out -- who are usually making quite an investment in supplies to have enough product -- nice not to have to invest in tables and chairs too.

So as you can see, each type of craft show venue has it's own unique issues -- the key is to plan ahead and be prepared.

The Great Hunt, part 3

I have a few last thoughts about searching for craft shows ... hopefully they're helpful!

I mentioned in the earlier posts that some craft shows are attached to festivals or other events and in that part of the hunt, I'm looking for "craft shows".  However, sometimes shows are not included in the statewide craft show listings because festival planners don't think to advertise specifically for the show.  They advertise the festival and list the show as one of the featured events.  Nearly every small town has some sort of festival at some time during the year -- so when I'm checking the events listings for the towns near me, I look for their festival guide to see if there is also a craft show.  Once again, if the festival sounds like fun and sounds like it will attract  a lot of people, it's usually worth the gamble.

Keep your eyes open in your local newspaper in the classified ads -- in some areas, that's a common way for organizers to seek vendors.  These shows may be a bit on the smaller or newer side, but they are excellent  if you're just getting started.  Shows seem to "grow up" too -- as they grow older, they seem to get more and more juried, develop their own reputations, and have less need of being advertised.  

Some churches have craft shows to raise funds.  If the church is large or the show is well established, these can be very productive shows.  Most parishioners will support the event and will be great word-of-mouth advertising.  If it's a new show, or a small church, ask around to check it out -- or be prepared that your day may not be predictable.  Being small isn't always bad ... but it may not be a guarantee of good either.

I have, on several occasions, found show compilations online that are available for sale ... either by buying their book or purchasing their membership.  I have never purchased show information -- some such sites will give lists with either the name of a town or the name of a show -- and that's all I need to Google to find the information for free.  As I have never made these purchases, I can't address their value -- they may be worth the costs if you are heavily dependent on your craft show business (for me, my business is our second income) because some offer detailed show information (such as average attendance, etc).   I could see where someone like retirees, who are willing to travel extensively wandering from show to show, supplementing their retirement incomes might find this type of resource very helpful.  My current search method is sufficient for my situation.

When you're doing your internet search, don't avoid previous years show listings that you may find.  You can get an idea of what their dates should be (like, 3rd weekend in October) and as some shows get more established, they no longer need to advertise -- you may not find the information readily available for the current year (at least, not early enough to apply for the show -- you may not see anything about the show until it's being advertised which may be too late for application).  If you don't know who to contact now, look who is sponsoring the show or who was the past organizer and start by contacting them.  If that's not available or you don't have any luck, contact the town's Chamber of Commerce, tourism office or municipal offices -- usually you'll find someone who knows something about the show.

One more source for locating craft shows is by talking to other vendors.  I met a vendor at one show I was doing who had a bookmark for her customers with a list of the shows she was participating in over the next few months -- that little bookmark was a gem!  Not only was it a great way for her to advertise and seek repeat customers, she had been doing shows for some time and was able to tell me which shows were the most profitable.  One of the shows on her list never came up in any of my searches -- but it's been a very good show for me.   So if you attend a craft show, watch for such lists being given by vendors.  And there are other ways to connect with show vendors --- if you are part of the Etsy community, there are teams for nearly every state and many countries.  Find your local teams and ask who does craft shows.  Even if you don't want to join the team, many teams are quite friendly and by contacting the team leaders or reading the team forums, you can find out who is doing craft shows .... and who are the good bets to contact about shows in your area.  

If you are selling jewelry, keep in mind that your chances of getting in to a show are better if you apply earlier.  Due to the number of jewelry makers, many shows these days are limiting the number of jewelry vendors (usually some percentage) they allow. 

In the next few weeks, I hope to do a blog or two about preparing for craft shows -- the differences between indoor and outdoor shows, my preparation list and some of my observations for what and what not to do at shows.  Hopefully, this has been helpful for someone.  Just keep in mind that my thoughts are based on my experiences and my observations -- and if you live in another part of the country, your experiences ( and local practices) may be different.  

Catch ya soon!

The Great Hunt, Part 2

Yesterday, I explained my process for finding good craft shows .... but I missed a couple points that I think I should share.  And I have some observations for other types of venues.

The size and attendance of a craft show can be a factor to consider.  I have no hard and fast rules about this because it hasn't seemed to matter.  One of the best shows I ever had was an Oktoberfest with only 10 or 12 vendors.  The festival was brand new and there were only a few hundred people in attendance -- but because there were so few vendors, my sales were excellent.  Another excellent show I've done has about 150 vendors but they must have had close to 7-10,000 customers and was a benefit for a school.   Obviously the greater the ratio of customers to vendors, the better my potential earnings ... but it's not guaranteed.  I like having an idea when I apply and I'm more concerned about these factors so that I am adequately prepared with supplies like business cards, etc.

The last factor I look at is whether or not there is an admission fee for customers.  When I first saw that some shows had such a fee, I avoided them but I've come to like those shows best, especially in the early fall.  This might sound odd, but we came to realize that for a lot of people, craft shows are not only a form of entertainment, but a lot of home crafters attend with an eye toward "shopping" to find craft projects they can copy... they have no intention of purchasing and when they do buy, their purchases are very small.  An admission fee, even a small one, seems to help weed out some of those non-buyers.  There's something about the mental attitude that if they are willing to pay a couple dollars to get in to a show, they're also willing to drop some dollars shopping.... they are more serious buyers.

Some seasonal notes -- I tend to do ok at summer craft shows and those into the early fall.  My best shows are usually in late October and November.  The saturday before Thanksgiving is often one of the best shows of the year and if the opening day of deer season falls the saturday before that, it's a  great show -- while the guys are out hunting the wives are out shopping.  And people are looking for Christmas gifts.  I've done a couple shows in early December -- found them disappointing.  We figured that most people were at the mall.

There are several others types of venues for selling crafts and they all have pros and cons.  

FLEA MARKETS

I did a winter flea market while on a project in Florida -- it was ok but I'm not sure I would do it again.... at least not regularly.  People going to flea markets are looking for great bargains on cheaply made junk -- not the best venue for handcrafted items.  The price wasn't bad -- my booth fee was only about $15.00 so it wasn't a huge investment but I didn't see great sales either.  However, I heard from some other vendors that there are the occasional summer flea markets in the north that cater to a more high end shopper.  I would want to check out a flea market before getting involved .. and would want to talk to vendors about it.

FARM MARKETS

In some places, farm markets allow handcrafted items from local artists and crafters.  Farm markets can go either way.  I've attended some and went away feeling that it wasn't the right venue for me.  I don't want to sound snobby but there are some crafts that have a lower price point and appeal to a less spendy group of customers -- some of my items are out of that price range.  Last summer, though, I was involved in a farm market that was a pretty good venue for me -- it was in a town that has a lot of summer homes for big city executives.  Those customers love the small town feeling, the fresh local produce and most of the craft items were of a more artisan nature.... and they weren't afraid to spend money on items they liked.   I would want to attend a farm market before I applied to be involved.  One other note -- most farm markets are a weekly event.  Crafters need to be aware of how quickly they could "saturate their market".  If you don't sell something that's "consumable" you may run into problems with sales dropping off, either toward the end of the season or in the second year.  I have one friend who makes beautiful miniature scrapbooks -- she did great her first year but very poorly in the second.  But another friend who sells handcrafted soaps does well all the time.  Just something to consider.

WOMEN'S EXPOS

Women's expos can be a great venue although there are some differences from craft shows.  Expos generally are open to all the home based sales companies as well as local small businesses, not just crafters.  Most juried craft shows are only open to crafters while some open shows are also open to a few home based sellers.  In my experience, the craft show customer is less likely to shop online, less likely to use a credit card and  more likely to be older.  The expo customer is more likely to be younger and does a fair amount of internet shopping.  Most expos have looser display restrictions than a juried craft show but the more professional the display, the better.... the crafter is "up against" some home sales marketers who have fairly professional "boutique" displays.  Expos usually offer "gift bags" to customers so most require a supply of samples, business cards, catalogs, or other promotional items.  I've seen fees range from $50 to $500 -- have done several with the lower fees, none of the pricey ones.  Factors to watch for in choosing expos are organization and location.  Is it well put together and well advertised?  Is the location familiar to the community and easy to find?  Is it clean?  I did one expo that ended up being on a road under construction -- poor attendance resulted.  My last expo wasn't bad but it wasn't good for sales .. except for the wedding jewelry order I got from a bride-to-be -- her order equaled my sales for the rest of the show.  Made my day!!

Because I sell jewelry, and because I can make a design in custom colors, I'm hoping to expand to include Bridal Shows -- I can make any of my styles in colors to match a wedding party.  I'm currently researching and have made some observations.  The fees are quite a bit higher than craft shows -- I've seen fees run from $275 to $1000 to participate.  With other types of shows, the profit is more instant -- at a Bridal Show, I may not get orders for several months afterward.   So, it will be a larger investment and a bit more risky ... but a better market with greater potential.  It will require a more "long range" view.  And displays definitely need to be more "boutique".  Professional promotional materials are also important -- rack cards, brochures or catalogs are critical.  The investment is greater but the potential for return is also much greater.  Bridal shows could also be a great way to round out my show year -- most farmers markets are in the summer, craft shows (in the north) tend to be summer and fall but the biggest bridal shows tend to be in the winter and spring.  So they could fill some of the gap in my show year.  Working on it!

The Great Hunt

How do I find good craft shows to participate in?  Because of our ministry, we usually move every 6-15 months and usually the moves are to entirely new states.  All the advice I've seen about finding good craft shows says that you should attend one year as a customer to get a feel for the show, then apply the next year if you want to be a vendor.  I don't have that luxury ... I'll probably be gone next year.  So how do I pick the shows I apply for?

I start my internet search by using Google.  I use key words "craft show" then the cities and towns in my very near area.  I make a list of my finds with a few pertinent details -- date, location and fees if I can find them, and whether the show is part of a festival.  If the info is available, I also note how long the show has been in existence and whether it's juried.  Then I use alternate phrases like "craft fair", "art fair" and "art show" and keep googling.  I also expand to include the state, rather than the specific towns near me.  I've found that some states have very organized directories -- those are wonderful!   I also check the various towns for their own Chamber of Commerce, visitor information or city events listings.  Compiling this list can take some time but is well worth the effort.

Once I have my list, I begin the sorting process.   I first eliminate anything that is both a Saturday and Sunday sale -- our ministry comes first and we've committed not to do sales that take us away from our Sunday worship.  Most shows want the actual vendor in attendance, not just a representative .. and some are very specific about it.  I then look at distance -- how far is a show from my location?  I like to keep them within 45 miles, although if a show sounds really great, I'll go further.  I next look for juried shows -- even if I've missed the application deadline, I"ll check to see if they have space available -- sometimes they do, especially if someone dropped out.  In my experience, a juried show that has been in existence for many years is a good bet -- they will likely have quality arts and crafts with a good reputation which usually draws serious buyers.  But sometimes, that's not the kind of show available .. so then what?

Open shows can be good or bad .. and there are several factors that I look for.  How long have they been an event?  Are they supporting a school, team, or community group?  Are they part of a festival?  What is their booth fee?  If I can find out previous attendance and how they advertise, that can be valuable information.  The longer they've been around, usually the better they are and the better they're known.  A long running annual event will generally attract repeat customers and because of word of mouth, will have a larger customer base.  Those shows benefitting an organization will depend on how actively the community is involved -- and I can't always tell that by looking online.  I've done one show benefitting a fire department that had hundreds of people -- another show, in the very next town only had about 150 attendees.  Festival related shows have also gone either way.  I've come to the conclusion that if the festival sounds like lots of fun to ME, the show is worth the gamble.  The 2 best shows I've ever had were part of festivals .... as were the 2 worst shows I've ever had.

Often the booth fee can be an indication of a show's success.  For one, shows with higher booth fees have bigger advertising budgets.  Most of the shows I do fall in the $50 - $100 range.  Shows that are cheaper are usually poorly advedrtised, with fewer attendees -- and lower profits.  Shows that cost more require that I sell a lot more just to break even. 

Organization and a "friendly professional" attitude are also factors that I consider.  Once I've decided to apply to a show, I generally contact the organizer to make sure there's space available.  Their response is important to me -- how quickly they respond, the tone of their message and how organized they sound are critical factors.  There are some shows I've thought sounded like good possibilities until I heard from the organizer.  If they sound like they don't have a clue what's going on, I avoid it.  If they sound cranky, I avoid it.  I do like shows that have applications that can be downloaded from the internet or are sent as attachments in that response email -- it seems that if someone is tech savvy enough to make their applications electronically available they are savvy enough to use tech as one of their advertising tools.  Frequently, the potential customer who is tech savvy is usually better educated, younger or from a higher economic demographic -- all of whom tend to be better spenders.  And since my objective is to make sales, it's nice to have customers who want to spend money.

When I first started doing craft shows, I did all open shows.  They are usually less investment up front and don't require displays that are as professional.  Every juried show I've seen required table skirts and sometimes other display options.  The profits weren't as large in those early shows but I learned a lot from them.

There are other kinds of shows for the crafter to be involved in and there can be differences in shows in different seasons ... next time!

Wanna Ride, part 2

A few days ago, I made a checklist of things I need to do to make a transition to doing bridal shows with my jewelry. The last item on my list is the need to update my display.

My current booth display is great for craft shows, where customers "cash and carry" their purchases, but it's not really a very "boutique" style display. For one, we need to do something that varies the heights of the displayed items -- right now, there is some variance, but everything falls within the same 2 feet -- I'd like to go beyond that (see the photo on May 22, 2009). I think I need to add some busts to show off my necklaces -- right now I only use 2.
I need to decide on a color scheme -- right now, my displays are all white (with deep green table skirts) -- do I want to stay with white? Or would the jewelry be more striking on black? Or some other color?
I probably need to decide which pieces and colors of jewelry I'll show and whether or not customers will be able to purchase on the spot or if I will only accept orders.
My current show displays are also great because we can set up and take down quickly -- an important factor in craft shows, but probably not so important in bridal shows.
We need good lighting systems and a nice little music system might be nice.
My current setup is quite flexible and will accommodate a variety of booth sizes. I'm thinking that we're going to tape off the floor with several different booth sizes and use cardboard templates to plan the spaces.
I have some ideas to utilize some of what I already have (a budget concern) as well as develop a more "boutique" look -- and fortunately, I'm married to a wonderful woodworker who can do cabinetry work -- we'll be utilizing his skills! More thoughts later ....

My First Farm Market

Life has been crazy busy the past few weeks. Our daughter is dating a young man -- his brother was killed last week in a hit and run -- a tragic situation. We've had a couple volunteer groups helping here on the building project. I'm still TRYING to get some things organized in my life and get into some semblance of a routine. I'm working on some small changes in business ... at least, they seemed like small changes ... getting them made is taking a lot longer than I thought. I am particularly trying to change the way I display necklaces at craft shows -- I like my ovals on the jewelry displays, but I have a lot more necklaces available than that and need to figure out a better way to show them off.

This past Saturday, I did my first farm market show -- it was great! I really had no idea what to expect, so set a sales range with the thought that, if I sold in that range, I'd be happy -- I exceeded my range!!! The market is in Elkhart Lake, which I've been told is a cottage community for Chicago executives. When it was time to sign up for the farm market, I knew my schedule would not allow me to be there every week and I was a bit concerned about "saturating my market" to be there each time, so I carefully chose 4 Saturdays. It seemed to me that if there were a lot of cottages in the area, a lot of people would "go to the cottage" for Fathers Day -- and I had that pegged. What I didn't realize is that it was also a race weekend for Road America -- town was packed! I've also chosen July 4 -- I expect a lot of people at their cottages again. I picked 2 dates in August -- they are more random but should be when produce is really filling the market. We'll see if I made good choices -- so far, so good!

Today I have a "private show" -- I'll be setting up for some new friends who want to see my work. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!! Wish me luck!!! Oh, and Part 5 of my new business "adventure" series will be posted in the next day or so.

A Business On the Move - Part 4

I didn’t have much capital to start a business and every penny made (and then some) has gone back into buying supplies and improving displays. While in Florida, I had purchased folding tables – the kind that are 2' x 4' and fold in the middle for storage (since my storage space is so extremely limited). They’ve worked out really well for me, too, because it seems that the booth size of every craft show is different. I have 3 tables, and can configure them in several different ways, depending on the size of my booth. I also acquired a canopy and got matching table cloths. My craft show set up was starting to look professional.

We also developed an idea for new jewelry displays. I needed displays that would be easy to transport, take minimal storage space, and assemble and dis-assemble quickly at craft shows. Because my jewelry is made with Swarovski crystals, the displays needed to allow plenty of light to show off the crystal’s sparkle and they needed to be as elegant as we could make them. I wanted them to be white so that no color would distort the color of the crystals -- but I didn’t want just any white -- I wanted the white of a grand piano. I wanted that deep, rich elegant white. And in our design, unfortunately, we also had to be able to have a good view of everything because some people just aren’t trustworthy. So after much research and thought, we came up with an idea: Keith would make some wooden boxes that would serve as a base. On the ends of each box, we have uprights that look a bit like stairsteps. In each step there’s a little notch where we place a steel bar, loaded with earring cards. Each box has 7 steps and each step holds 13 earring cards – so we can put 91 pairs of earrings on each display and 2 displays fit on each of my tables (they’re about 22" long).. But there’s more!
On the front of each display, there is a detachable shelf, sitting on a slope, with 4 ovals in a row – each oval is the perfect size to display a necklace, so we also have 4 necklaces on each display.

We finished in Florida last year in April and our next building project brought us to Wisconsin. I was able to participate in several craft shows in the fall (including my first juried shows) and I’m planning my 2009 show/market schedule now. Our show set up has been improved again with the addition of table skirts, which I designed and made (I sew too). Things are looking pretty good and I’m looking forward to the new selling season. Now, if only the economy doesn’t kill me .....